Sword-billed hummingbird

Last updated

Sword-billed hummingbird
Sword-billed hummingbird (male) at Guango Lodge, Ecuador (21310837273).jpg
Male
Ensifera ensifera (Pico de sable) (14182491210).jpg
Female sword-billed hummingbird (right) with a buff-tailed coronet
Call
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Strisores
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Tribe: Heliantheini
Genus: Ensifera
Lesson, 1843
Species:
E. ensifera
Binomial name
Ensifera ensifera
(Boissonneau, 1840)
Ensifera ensifera map.svg
Distribution range of the sword-billed hummingbird
Synonyms

Ornismya ensifera Boissonneau, 1840

The sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), also known as the swordbill, is a neotropical species of hummingbird from the Andean regions of South America. It is the only member in the genus Ensifera. Among the largest species of hummingbird, it is characterized by its unusually long bill, being the only bird to have a beak longer than the rest of its body, excluding the tail. It uses its bill to drink nectar from flowers with long corollas and has coevolved with the species Passiflora mixta . While most hummingbirds preen using their bills, the sword-billed hummingbird uses its feet to scratch and preen due to its bill being so long.

Contents

The sword-billed hummingbird is a trap-line feeder and feeds on nectar, especially from Passiflora mixta and other passionflowers. It also hawks for insects. It breeds from February to March and builds cup nests using moss. The sword-billed hummingbird is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List, but is threatened by climate change and deforestation.

Taxonomy and systematics

The sword-billed hummingbird was first described as Ornismya ensifera by Auguste Boissonneau in 1839 on the basis of specimens from Santa Fé, Bogotá, Colombia. [3] It was moved to the genus Ensifera in 1843 by René Lesson. [4] The generic and specific name ensifera is derived from the Latin words ensis (sword) and ferre (to carry) and means sword-wielder, referring to the species' large beak. [5] Sword-billed hummingbird is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. [6] Other common names for the species include sword billed hummingbird, swordbill, and swordbill hummingbird. [7] [8]

The sword-billed hummingbird is the only species in the genus Ensifera. In 1939, Ensifera ensifera caerulescens was described as a subspecies by Willoughby Lowe on the basis of a specimen from the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. [9] However, it has since been lumped with the nominate subspecies as it is likely that the specimen had either aberrant plumage or was discolored. The species is now considered monotypic. [10]

Description

Male sword-billed hummingbird in Caldas, Colombia Sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera) Caldas.jpg
Male sword-billed hummingbird in Caldas, Colombia

The sword-billed hummingbird is among the largest species of hummingbirds. Adults are 13–14 centimetres (5.1–5.5 in) long excluding the bill and weigh 10–15 g (0.35–0.53 oz), with males being slightly larger on average than females. [11] The most distinctive feature of the species is the enormous bill, which is 8–12 centimetres (3.1–4.7 in) long. [12] The bill is the largest of any hummingbird and the largest with respect to body length for any bird. [10]

The sword-billed hummingbird displays sexual dimorphism. Males have shorter bills but longer wings and tails than females. Males have bronze-green upperparts with coppery-bronze heads, a discreet white spot behind the eye, dusky throats, metallic green underparts, a dark gray belly, and a forked blackish bronze-green tail. Some males have white on the chin and throat. Females have similar upperparts, but have white underparts and grayish throats and bellies speckled with green. The tail is less deeply forked and is edged grayish white. Juveniles look similar to females. [10] [11]

The sword-billed hummingbird is the only known bird whose bill is longer than the rest of the body, excluding the tail. [11] [13] It is black, heavy, and slightly upturned. [11] The extremely long bill helps the species feed on flowers with long corollas that are inaccessible to other species. [12]

Vocalizations

The sword-billed hummingbird makes a low, guttural, slightly trilled trrr. [10] [11]

Habitat and distribution

The sword-billed hummingbird is found in the Andes from western Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to Bolivia. [14] It inhabits humid and wet montane forest, forest edges, shrubland, gardens, and patches of páramo at elevations of 1,700–3,500 m (5,600–11,500 ft), but is most common at elevations of 2,400–3,100 m (7,900–10,200 ft). The species is generally non-migratory, but shows localized movements in Colombia and northwestern Venezuela, where it moves to higher altitudes in the early wet season and returns to lower elevations in the dry season. [10] [11]

The sword-billed hummingbird's distribution correlates with the distribution of species of the subgenus Tacsonia in the genus Passiflora, due to its highly specialized bill and feeding habits. [12] [15]

Behavior and ecology

As is characteristic of hummingbirds, the sword-billed hummingbird can fly backwards and hover in the air. [16] It also exhibits higher than average wing-disk loading than other members of its family. [17]

Diet and feeding

Female sword-billed hummingbird feeding in flight Hilt Close-up (28704685461).jpg
Female sword-billed hummingbird feeding in flight

The sword-billed hummingbird is a specialist feeder, feeding mainly on the nectar of flowers with long corollas, including Brugsmania sanguinea , Datura stramonium , Passiflora mixta , P. pinnatistiplua , P. mollissima and P. sexflora , along with flowers from the genera Aethanthus , Fuchsia , Salpichroa , and Solanum . It probes flowers from below while feeding, and is a trap-line feeder, visiting a specific series of flowers in a regular, consistent sequence. It also hawks for insects, catching flying insects by keeping the bill open. [10]

Perching and preening

The sword-billed hummingbird perches with its bill angled upwards to reduce the strain of the heavy beak and improve balance. [10] The length of the bill is so long, it also forces the sword-billed hummingbird to use its feet to groom, even though this takes longer than traditional beak methods. Preening is important to remove ectoparasites and spread oil across the feathers. [18]

Reproduction

Breeding occurs from February to March. Nests are cup-shaped and made of moss, and are usually hung among root fibers high above the ground. [11]

Co-evolution with Passiflora mixta

The long corolla of Passiflora mixta is coevolved with the bird's bill as a pollination strategy. Passiflora mixta (as Tacsonia quitensis) 96.5876.jpg
The long corolla of Passiflora mixta is coevolved with the bird's bill as a pollination strategy.

The sword-billed hummingbird displays extreme coevolution with the passionflower Passiflora mixta. The two species evolved together during the early radiation of the subgenus Tacsonia, because the species exclusively pollinated P. mixta. The position of the flower's anthers and stigmas, along with the length of the corolla tube, make it an inaccessible food source to nearly every species except the sword-billed hummingbird. This mutualistic relationship lets P. mixta depend on the bird for pollination, while the bird obtains a high-quality food source. [19] To obtain nectar, the hummingbird will stick its long bill down the tube of the corolla (both of which are almost exactly the same length), drink, and then retreat and hover for a few seconds before repeating the process. Other species, such as insects, may be able to access the flower's nectar but do so by puncturing the base and feeding through a hole instead of the corolla tube. Additional evidence of coevolution is that both species also inhabit the same territory range along the Andean mountains. If sword-billed hummingbird populations were to decline, there would most likely be a negative impact on the abundance of P. mixta flowers due to their extreme coevolution. [15]

Status and conservation

The sword-billed hummingbird is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List due to its large range, lack of significant population decline, and lack of major threats. There is also no census on global number of individuals, because of the large range of occurrence and uncommon sightings. [14] It has adapted to man-made habitats in some areas and is also known to occur in several protected areas. [10] Climate change and deforestation are the two most probable threats to the sword-billed hummingbird as they may lead to habitat loss and a decrease in food sources, especially of Passiflora mixta. [19]

In art and media

The BBC's documentary series Planet Earth II depicted the sword-billed hummingbird flying through the forest in the episode "Jungles". [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hummingbird</span> Family of birds

Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Central and South America. As of 2024, 21 hummingbird species are listed as endangered or critically endangered, with numerous species declining in population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coevolution</span> Two or more species influencing each others evolution

In biology, coevolution occurs when two or more species reciprocally affect each other's evolution through the process of natural selection. The term sometimes is used for two traits in the same species affecting each other's evolution, as well as gene-culture coevolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunbird</span> Family of birds

Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly in the males. Many species also have especially long tail feathers. Their range extends through most of Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, South-east Asia and southern China, to Indonesia, New Guinea and northern Australia. Species diversity is highest in equatorial regions.

<i>Passiflora</i> Genus of flowering plants in the passion flower family

Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae.

<i>Heliconia</i> Genus of plants

Heliconia is a genus of flowering plants in the monotypic family Heliconiaceae. Most of the 194 known species are native to the tropical Americas, but a few are indigenous to certain islands of the western Pacific and Maluku in Indonesia. Many species of Heliconia are found in the tropical forests of these regions. Most species are listed as either vulnerable or data deficient by the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Several species are widely cultivated as ornamentals, and a few are naturalized in Florida, Gambia, and Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant hummingbird</span> Species of bird

The giant hummingbird is the only member of the genus Patagona and the largest member of the hummingbird family, weighing 18–24 g (0.63–0.85 oz) and having a wingspan of approximately 21.5 cm (8.5 in) and length of 23 cm (9.1 in). This is approximately the same length as a European starling or a northern cardinal, though the giant hummingbird is considerably lighter because it has a slender build and long bill, making the body a smaller proportion of the total length. This weight is almost twice that of the next heaviest hummingbird species and ten times that of the smallest, the bee hummingbird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bee hummingbird</span> Smallest species of bird

The bee hummingbird, zunzuncito or Helena hummingbird is a species of hummingbird, native to the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. It is the smallest known bird. The bee hummingbird feeds on nectar of flowers and bugs found in Cuba.

Parallel evolution is the similar development of a trait in distinct species that are not closely related, but share a similar original trait in response to similar evolutionary pressure.

<i>Passiflora incarnata</i> Species of vine

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, and wild passion vine, is a fast-growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is both found as a wildflower in the southern United States and in cultivation for its fruit and striking bluish purple blooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoophily</span> Pollination by animals

Zoophily, or zoogamy, is a form of pollination whereby pollen is transferred by animals, usually by invertebrates but in some cases vertebrates, particularly birds and bats, but also by other animals. Zoophilous species frequently have evolved mechanisms to make themselves more appealing to the particular type of pollinator, e.g. brightly colored or scented flowers, nectar, and appealing shapes and patterns. These plant-animal relationships are often mutually beneficial because of the food source provided in exchange for pollination.

<i>Passiflora tarminiana</i> Species of plant

Passiflora tarminiana is a species of passionfruit. The yellow fruits are edible and their resemblance to small, straight bananas has given it the name banana passionfruit in some countries. It is native to the uplands of tropical South America and is now cultivated in many countries. In Hawaii and New Zealand it is now considered an invasive species. It was given the name banana passionfruit in New Zealand, where passionfruit are also prevalent. In Hawaii, it is called banana poka. In its Latin American homeland, it is known as curuba, curuba de Castilla, or curuba sabanera blanca (Colombia); taxo, tacso, tagso, tauso (Ecuador); parcha, taxo (Venezuela), tumbo or curuba (Bolivia); tacso, tumbo, tumbo del norte, trompos, tintin, porocsho or purpur (Peru).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nectarivore</span> Animal in which nectar is a main source of nutrition in their diet

In zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornithophily</span> Pollination by birds

Ornithophily or bird pollination is the pollination of flowering plants by birds. This sometimes coevolutionary association is derived from insect pollination (entomophily) and is particularly well developed in some parts of the world, especially in the tropics, Southern Africa, and on some island chains. The association involves several distinctive plant adaptations forming a "pollination syndrome". The plants typically have colourful, often red, flowers with long tubular structures holding ample nectar and orientations of the stamen and stigma that ensure contact with the pollinator. Birds involved in ornithophily tend to be specialist nectarivores with brushy tongues and long bills, that are either capable of hovering flight or light enough to perch on the flower structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malachite sunbird</span> Species of bird

The malachite sunbird is a small nectarivorous bird found from the highlands of Ethiopia southwards to South Africa. They pollinate many flowering plants, particularly those with long corolla tubes, in the Fynbos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple-backed sunbeam</span> Species of bird

The purple-backed sunbeam is a bird species in the family Trochilidae. It is found only in Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-fronted lancebill</span> Species of bird

The green-fronted lancebill is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. Primarily known for its incredibly long bill and “glittering” green patch of feathers on its forehead, D. ludovicae is found in subtropical and tropical moist montane forest and prefers regions that include fast moving rivers and streams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapphire-throated hummingbird</span> Species of bird

The sapphire-throated hummingbird is a shiny metallic-green hummingbird found in Panama, Colombia, and more recently Costa Rica. The sapphire-throated hummingbird is separated into three subspecies; Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coeruleogularis, Chrysuronia coeruleogularis coelina, and Chrysuronia coeruleogularis conifis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy hummingbird</span> Species of bird

The buffy hummingbird is a species of bird in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Leucippus. This bird lives in dry forest and scrubland in northern South America where it feeds on insects and the nectar, flesh, and juice of cactus fruits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nectar robbing</span> Foraging behavior

Nectar robbing is a foraging behavior used by some organisms that feed on floral nectar, carried out by feeding from holes bitten in flowers, rather than by entering through the flowers' natural openings. Nectar robbers usually feed in this way, avoiding contact with the floral reproductive structures, and therefore do not facilitate plant reproduction via pollination. Because many species that act as pollinators also act as nectar robbers, nectar robbing is considered to be a form of exploitation of plant-pollinator mutualism. While there is variation in the dependency on nectar for robber species, most species rob facultatively.

<i>Passiflora mixta</i> Species of vine

Passiflora mixta, from the family Passifloraceae is also known as curuba, curuba de indio, curuba de monte, curubita, parcha, and taxo. Originally, it derived from the monophyletic Passiflora subgenus Tacsonia. Passiflora mixta is endemic to the Americas. A perennial vine, the Passiflora mixta is pink to orange-red in color.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Ensifera ensifera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22687854A93171973. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22687854A93171973.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. Société Cuvierienne; Cuvierienne, Société (1839). Revue zoologique. Vol. 2. Paris: Société cuvierienne.
  4. Cottrell, G. William; Greenway, James C.; Mayr, Ernst; Paynter, Raymond A.; Peters, James Lee; Traylor, Melvin A.; University, Harvard (1945). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 5. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  5. Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm. p. 146. ISBN   978-1-4081-3326-2.
  6. "Hummingbirds – IOC World Bird List" . Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  7. "Ensifera ensifera (Sword-billed Hummingbird) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  8. "Definition of SWORDBILL". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
  9. Lowe, Willoughby P. (1939-01-01). "The Bird Collections in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter". Ibis. 81 (1): 65–106. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1939.tb03963.x.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Züchner, Thomas; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020-03-04), Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.), "Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.swbhum1.01, S2CID   241590785 , retrieved 2021-10-09
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hilty, Steven L.; Brown, William L. (1986). A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN   9780691083728. OCLC   11234472.
  12. 1 2 3 Soteras, Florencia; Moré, Marcela; Ibañez, Ana C.; Iglesias, María del Rosario; Cocucci, Andrea A. (2018-12-26). Borges, Renee M. (ed.). "Range overlap between the sword-billed hummingbird and its guild of long-flowered species: An approach to the study of a coevolutionary mosaic". PLOS ONE. 13 (12): e0209742. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1309742S. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209742 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   6306261 . PMID   30586466.
  13. 1 2 "Sword-billed hummingbirds are the only birds in the world to have beaks longer than their bodies. - In pictures... Jungles". Planet Earth II. BBC One . Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  14. 1 2 IUCN (2016). "Ensifera ensifera: BirdLife International". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016. doi: 10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-3.rlts.t22687854a93171973.en .
  15. 1 2 Lindberg, Annika Büchert; Olesen, Jens Mogens (2001-03-04). "The fragility of extreme specialization: Passiflora mixta and its pollinating hummingbird Ensifera ensifera". Journal of Tropical Ecology. 17 (2): 323–329. doi:10.1017/S0266467401001213. ISSN   0266-4674. S2CID   85573624.
  16. Sapir, Nir; Dudley, Robert (2012-10-15). "Backward flight in hummingbirds employs unique kinematic adjustments and entails low metabolic cost". Journal of Experimental Biology. 215 (20): 3603–3611. doi: 10.1242/jeb.073114 . ISSN   0022-0949. PMID   23014570.
  17. Snow, David (1980). Relationships between hummingbirds and flowers in the Andes of Colombia. British Museum: Bulletin of the British Museum.
  18. Clayton, Dale H.; Cotgreave, Peter (1994). "Relationship of bill morphology to grooming behaviour in birds". Animal Behaviour. 47 (1): 195–201. doi:10.1006/anbe.1994.1022. S2CID   53184717.
  19. 1 2 Abrahamczyk, S.; Souto-Vilarós, D.; Renner, S. S. (2014-11-22). "Escape from extreme specialization: passionflowers, bats and the sword-billed hummingbird". Proc. R. Soc. B. 281 (1795): 20140888. doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.0888. ISSN   0962-8452. PMC   4213610 . PMID   25274372.